History, analysis, and unabashed gossip about the start of the American Revolution in Massachusetts.

J. L. BELL is a Massachusetts writer who specializes in (among other things) the start of the American Revolution in and around Boston. He is particularly interested in the experiences of children in 1765-75. He has published scholarly papers and popular articles for both children and adults. He was consultant for an episode of History Detectives, and contributed to a display at Minute Man National Historic Park.

People who are proud of their beliefs and willing to stand behind them don’t need “yet another login name and password.” They just need the courage to type their names (or even 1700s-style pseudonyms) at the end of their comments.

When public figures express themselves on eighteenth-century history and the founding of the U.S. of A., that’s completely within the scope of this website. It’s not like I’m responding to statements about the Federal Reserve or nuclear power.

I think the first anonymous comment is actually a sign of how thin-skinned fans of Sarah Palin and/or Pat Robertson are. I wrote “tweets” of fewer than 140 characters on how those politicians had embarrassed themselves, but even that was too much of a reminder for some.